


what he has: a better kiss that never lasts.

by orphan_account



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-20
Updated: 2013-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-24 03:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/934517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A timeline fic. Documenting the highlights of Pete Wentz and Mikey Way's relationship from 2000 to 2013.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what he has: a better kiss that never lasts.

In Patrick’s words, Mikey was a “sporadic constant” in Pete’s life, Pete really couldn’t argue.

-

It (technically) started in 2000, Mikey was infamous, a punk celebutante if you will. He wasn’t an elitist emo kid or an old metal guy, he just was, and people liked him for it.

It was backstage at a Midtown show, Mikey was watching the band and there was a group of kids scattered around watching Mikey. Mikeyway smoking a menthol cigarette and nodding his head along to the music, Pete didn’t get it, and his teachers always did tell him to ask questions. So he turned on his grin and walked straight up to him. “Hey, I’m Pete,” He could swear he saw a few members of Mikey’s crowd hold their breath, but then again most of them didn’t look like they’d graduated high school, kids were weird.

"Mikey," He returned, taking his eyes off the band and directing them to Pete and giving him a not-smile for a few seconds in acknowledgement.

"So, who’re the kids?" Pete asked curiously, chuckling when Gabe crashed into Tyler on stage.

"Do you like, want their names?" No. "Or do you want to know why they’re here?" Yes. "I don’t really know either way, you could ask ‘em if you want, dude." Mikey shrugged, blowing puffs of smoke up toward the ceiling.

Pete glanced back at the crowd before shaking his head, “I think I’m good, man, but, you’re not like in a band or anything?”

"For someone who’s so metaphorical in their lyrics you sure are straightforward." Mikey hummed, took a drink out of the cup he was holding and Pete wondered how his vodka didn’t spill out onto his glasses, considering how low they were on his nose.

"You know me?" Pete cocked an eyebrow, Arma (never really got anywhere) had yet to get anywhere, but then again Mikey seemed pretty integrated into the scene.

"I’ve been to a few concerts," Mikey nodded, "Even more after parties."

"Huh." Pete pondered, "Going to the after party tonight then?"

"Nah," Mikey let his cigarette drop to the floor, putting it out with his boot, "I need to at least say I tried to study."

Pete glanced up at the stage as they started their last song, “Let me buy you coffee and drop you off then?” He had no idea what possessed him to offer, but he had to pretend he did, “I know how college goes.”

"Coffee, cool, sure." Mikey was not-smiling again and Pete decided he could definitely get used to it. So instead of jumping into the crowd or starting a fight or stealing Gabe’s mic or something, he stood at Mikey’s side with a permanent grin on his face, grabbing Mikey’s hand and pulling him out the door the second the lights went out.

"Gabe usually ends up fucking me if I stay too long." Pete explained, opening the passenger’s door of the car he was using for Mikey before getting in himself

"Happens to the best of us, dude." Mikey assured, pulling his knees up to his chest and holding his hands over the heater.

Pete laughed manically, swerving into the nearest Starbucks where Mikey ordered something Pete wouldn’t be able to recite to save his life and Pete ordered something with a shitload of whipped cream.

"So, where do you live?" Pete asked once he started driving again, grateful when Mikey said that he’d just give directions as necessary.

"I think we might fall in love one day." Pete wasn’t sure if he was more surprised that he actually just said out loud or the fact that Mikey wasn’t choking on his coffee and demanding to be let out.

"Oh yeah?" Mikey mused instead, nodding for Pete to stop in front of an apartment complex, "Why one day?"

"Well, I mean, right now we live in different places, and you’re not in a band, so tour is out of the question, unless you tech or something, but, cosmic forces, right? Star crossed lovers, we’ll get back together and fall in love, one day." Pete rambled, hardly noticing the fact that his knuckles had turned white on the steering wheel

"I’ll buy that." Mikey responded shortly, pulling one of Pete’s arms down by the wrist and kissing him quickly, "Can’t wait, actually, but, I’ll have to, so, thanks for the coffee, Pete."

Pete grinned, pushing Mikey’s glasses up his nose and accidentally kissing him once more in the process. “Can’t wait.” He repeated, pushing the door open and watching Mikey pull his hoodie up walk back in with his hands stuffed in his pockets before driving off.

-

It actually started in 2005.

When he said ‘one day’, Pete honestly just meant a few months or maybe a year, not five, but sure enough, Bamboozle 2005 was the first time he talked to Mikeyway since that fateful winter night, (he really had meant to last summer, but My Chem was going through all that drama, and Pete had enough of his own, and he figured since he never just ran into him, the stars probably hadn’t aligned for him and Mikey yet anyway, so just going up to him and talking would spoil it.)

It was a classic festival thing; put the two bands that are the closest in sound, age, and fame together in a dressing room and hope for the best. Pete was late as usual (well event staff said late, Pete said he didn’t see how it mattered since they weren’t sound checking or playing anyway) he had his hoodie pulled up and two pairs of sunglasses on, just to see if he could get away with it, because bands that were supposed to be like them usually weren’t. So he was all set to sit in the corner and talk to Ryan from Panic on the phone for a few hours because the kid was as entertaining as anyone else, and Pete knew that recording (without Patrick) was hell, but then he heard an all too familiar voice in alongside Patrick’s and was right there within seconds.

"Mikey fuckin’ Way," He grinned, wedging himself in between Mikey and Patrick. "I see you finally joined a band, great career move, awesome band, how’s the on-it’s-way-to-platinum album?"

"I should be asking you." Mikey responded, "Fuckin’ amazing, both of yours."

"That’s just ‘cause we got the best voice in the nation." Pete giggled, kissing Patrick’s cheek right as he sheepishly added in, "No offense to your brother."

"None taken, you’re like, way more melodic, and you’ve got range, dude." Mikey smiled at Patrick and Pete was totally more than a little jealous, even though it was totally understandable because everyone smiled at Patrick because he was perfect.

"Oh, thanks." Patrick blushed, looking down in surprise and a little horror at his phone as his buzzed, "I really have to take this," He smiled apologetically, scurrying out of the room and into the hallway.

"Would it be horrible of me to say I missed you?" Pete asked.

"Do the cosmic forces want you to?" Mikey teased, shaking his head, "I missed you, too."

Pete tried not to look too surprised at that, but judging by the not-smile (fuck he missed that) on Mikey’s face, he wasn’t doing very well, so he threw acting to the wind and pulled him down for a kiss

Mikey was caught off guard but judging by the way he was kissing back, he really didn’t seem to care, for a brief second Pete remembered that they were in public and he was pretty sure there were interviewers on their way, but Mikey tasted like cookies, coffee and vodka, so he let Mikey be the one to pull away first. It didn’t end too abruptly and they both let the kiss linger, “You’re going on Warped again, right?” Pete asked, wide eyed and hopeful.

"We are." Mikey confirmed

"When’s the last date of that tour?" At one point or another, Pete had grabbed Mikey’s hand, grazing the skin, fumbling with it nervously like it was his own.

"August fourteenth."

"Right, awesome, the stars are aligned." Pete grinned and Mikey grinned back and yeah, the stars were definitely aligned for them, for now.

-

(It was) They were perfect on June 28th, 2005

"One day sounds so much like a fairy tale," Pete sighed. He and Mikey were laying top to tail in the hallway between the bunks, taking turns making blatant observations, which Pete considered a feat in the New Mexico heat. 

"Your point?" Pete could tell Mikey was already thinking, trying to figure him out, because he was just like his brother, just a lot more indirect about it.

"It’s not a fairy tale, there isn’t even a castle." Pete explained. "One day raises expectations that we can’t meet, in most ways."

"I can change that." Mikey responded simply, even though he wasn’t making a single move to do so.

"Make it happen, Mikeyway.” Pete had already moved to sit up, his shadow cast down over Mikey’s face.

"Meet me outside my bus in like, five minutes," Mikey opened his eyes and sat up, too, cupping Pete’s cheek and pulling him in for a kiss. "Five minutes." He repeated against Pete’s lips before standing back up and jogging off the bus, leaving Pete in a trance, which he’d learned over the past month, Mikey was very good at.

Fifteen minutes later they were exiting a cab and Pete was pretty sure he was the happiest guy in the universe (‘cause the stars wanted him to be) “You’re fucking awesome, Mikeyway.”

"You wanted a castle." Mikey responded, shrugging and wrapping an arm around Pete’s waist and guiding him inside.

Pete liked waterslides and pizza and Mikey liked whatever Pete liked, Mikey was pretty much perfect and Pete told him so at every chance he got.

"You’re like my high school boyfriends, kinda." Pete commented in between sips of a bright red slurpee.

"Is that good?" Mikey asked skeptically, looking up from his phone every time Pete talked or he responded.

"It’s not bad, I mean, you’re all, quiet, and you’re so fucking different from the time we first met Mikeyway, has anyone told you that?"

Mikey shrugged (of course he did) and kissed the side of Pete’s mouth, “I was twenty and regularly fucking Gabe Saporta when you met me, I think I would be different now.”

"Regularly?" Pete cocked an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Mikey laughed, grabbing Pete’s hand and tugging him back into the water.

Two hours later they were sitting on top of what Mikey had decided was the bridge above their mote, Pete’s head in Mikey’s lap.

"I love you." Pete said, because he wasn’t sure if he had yet, and Mikey totally needed to hear it either way.

"Awesome." Mikey returned, carding his fingers though Pete’s hair, making it pretty obvious Pete hadn’t actually said it before, "I love you too."

"Awesome." Pete repeated with a grin, grabbing Mikey’s free hand and latching onto it. "Can we like, not go back?" He asked.

"We can stay a little longer than anyone wants us to, if that’s what you mean." Mikey answered.

"Yeah," Pete sighed, "that’s what I mean, sounds good.” 

-

It (technically) ended on August 14th, 2005.

Mikey fucked like it was their last day on Earth, Pete didn’t get it until he realized that it was.

Mikey had Pete’s hips pinned down to the bed, kissing up and down Pete’s neck over and over, breath erratic, “I- fuck- Pete,” He whined and Pete’s hips bucked up with the little movement they were allowed, he pulled Mikey closer so they were eye to eye, kissing him with pure want.

"Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, you’re so, and I, fuck, Mikeyway." Pete babbled, falling over onto Mikey’s shoulder and clawing at his back desperately, coming in streaks over both of their skin.

Mikey pulled out and Pete went limp, pulling his pillow over his eyes and trying to make the world stop, albeit the fact that he let out a breath of relief when he felt Mikey’s arms find their way around his waist.

"I gotta play soon." Mikey mumbled into Pete’s chest, "You should join me."

"Do you have to go at all?" Pete pouted, dropping his arm down so he and Mikey were as close as they could be.

"Wish I didn’t." Mikey sighed, reaching over and putting his glasses back on, "S’gonna be a whole lot better if you’re there, you can bring any of your guys, if you want."

"Joe and Trick might be up for it." Pete nodded, holding any comment about a big blowout, or final stand, or whatever, because he probably wanted to hear that out loud even less than Mikey did.

This was how all of My Chem and FOB ended up on the same stage, each of them taking turns at whatever they could kind of sort of play, they were kind of out of tune and shitty, but the kids were into it just as much as they were, and Pete decided that if it was going to end it might as well end where it started.

Offstage Pete and Mikey kissed, and kissed, and kissed until Patrick was very gently pulling them apart, making it obvious that someone else had sent him to do the job, “Listen, I know it’s the last day and you’ve got that thing, uh, yeah, but you’ll see each other soon, right? Don’t worry.” Pete loved Patrick.

"Right." Mikey repeated, pulling away and stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I’ll see you around, thanks for the summer, Pete." He not-smiled and turned around on his heel, pulling his hoodie up and walking away.

"Can we go to taco bell?" Pete asked, turning to Patrick hardly realizing he was holding his breath until Patrick said yes and they started walking the opposite way.

-

For the few years after that, it was(n’t only) a mess.

Pete wrote Infinity on High and earned pitiful looks from the nation, Mikey had his freak out and got the same, they hung out when they could, The Knitting Factory was good, the few times they went clubbing together were good too, because as much as he hid it in the band, Mikey was good with crowds.

Pete’s 30th birthday party was another story, Mikey was smoking, hunched over, sunglasses masking the majority of his face as he talked to some FBR guys, Pete was an idiot, and left him alone, talking to other people, getting progressively more drunk as time went on, subconsciously trying to work up the courage to just talk to him like the first time they met (how come he couldn’t flip that grin on anymore?) because it had been a good two years since the last time, and it would be a dick move not to.

But Mikey caught him off guard (of course he did), catching him just as he was about to leave (he really did have a bad habit of leaving his own parties)

"Cool party, happy birthday." Mikey was, himself, well, the Mikey that people described to him, not his Mikey, fanservice Mikey, maybe, still not bad Mikey, Pete didn’t think there was such thing as a bad Mikey, unlike the way there were about seven hundred bad versions of Pete.

"Thanks." Pete took another drink, because he needed it, "Glad you came, a lot of people blew me off, for, various reasons." He ran a hand though his hair. "You’re a good dude, Mikeyway."

“Sweet of you to say,” Mikey nodded, slicking his own hair back, “So everyone turned you down but business dudes? That’s new.” 

“Well yeah,” Pete said while he looked around, “They like me as long as I’m making money and not tangled up in Hollywood’s latest scandal.” 

“Good point.” Mikey paused, biting his lip, "I really need to go, I have band shit, but you can hang out if you ever want to."

"I will." Pete grinned, "I’m going to- I’ll be free soon, so yeah." He scratched the back of his neck.

“Awesome.” Mikey turned back and slid right out the door, he didn’t announce his departure to the crowd, or try and steal a bottle of wine (which Pete was originally planning on doing), he was and then he wasn’t, Pete wished he could do that.

-

Early 2010 came and Pete did.

Mikey didn’t ask questions, he fucked Pete when Pete wanted him to and left him alone all the same. Pete overheard a few calls that were pretty obviously Gerard yelling at Mikey to get his ass in the studio and Mikey insisting that it was Pete. Pete felt guilty, but he also couldn’t bring himself to talk at all, instead communicating though notes on Mikey’s fridge and movie selections for the night. One day Mikey went to the store and Pete decided that he should leave, leaving his hoodie behind and booking a flight back to LA. At least he tried.

Mikey called the next day, Mikey wasn’t mad, worried, maybe, but Patrick was worse, he didn’t blame them, he was kind of a shitty dude, he decided next time he saw Mikey he would try something new, or maybe something old.

-

LA was a different story too, 2013, Mikey was too polite to just show up, he called in advance. It was a good show, maybe a great one, they’d played better this month, but they’d played worse, too. Mikey was the same social fucking butterfly that he always had been, chatting up the techs about whatever common ground they had (there was always some) so, being the good (boyfriend), (ex-boyfriend), friend that Pete was, he pulled him off to another corner. “Hey, I missed you.”

"You missed me." Mikey repeated, toying with his own necklace in a way that could be mistaken for nervousness if it weren’t Mikey, "Remember the last time you said that?"

Pete didn’t even have to pause “I remember, yeah, stars, one day, summer of like” 

"Yeah," Mikey nodded, "it’s too late into summer and we’r¬e both too old to do that again, but, I’m going to be around, and, thought you might want to catch a movie or something?" 

"I’ll have to ask the stars." Pete smirked, "But first I have to play an encore, stick around for your future, and pay me five bucks." 

Mikey not-smiled and nodded, grabbing Pete by the neck of his bass and kissing him before he ran back on stage, hoping to god it wasn’t a cloudy night.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the product of about seven fics written over the course of a few weeks. this is fictional. title from calm before the storm by fall out boy. this ending wasn't supposed to be happy.


End file.
